I have a fireplace that can burn gas logs and wood. I've had gas logs in for 7 years now and the DW wants to burn wood in the fireplace. I've managed to remove the gas logs and have attached the original pipe that was there. A salesman at the local store said all I needed to do was apply some pipe dope to the pipe before re-installing them.

Question that I have.....Does the pipe dope harden? I can't get the pipes to tighten up to the point where they should be, and all pointing in the right direction.

<<I have a fireplace that can burn gas logs and wood. I've had gas logs in for 7 years now and the DW wants to burn wood in the fireplace. I've managed to remove the gas logs and have attached the original pipe that was there. A salesman at the local store said all I needed to do was apply some pipe dope to the pipe before re-installing them.

Question that I have.....Does the pipe dope harden? I can't get the pipes to tighten up to the point where they should be, and all pointing in the right direction.

Crocket>>

I'm supposing you removed the gas log set and are trying to reinstall an old log lighter, is that correct? Pipe thread compound doesn't dry like glue, but it will dry out if exposed to the air or a lot of heat.

<< I can't get the pipes to tighten up to the point where they should be, and all pointing in the right direction.

I'm supposing you removed the gas log set and are trying to reinstall an old log lighter, is that correct? Pipe thread compound doesn't dry like glue, but it will dry out if exposed to the air or a lot of heat.

Yes, I've removed the gas log set and am trying to reinstall the old log lighter, which is just a pipe with small holes in it.

<< I can't get the pipes to tighten up to the point where they should be, and all pointing in the right direction.

>>

You'd have to explain what you mean by this.

Sorry if I'm confusing. I think I am just going to apply some additional elbow grease and muscle. I am not a very handy person.The gas line comes out of the bricks in the bottom of the fireplace. Attached to that is an elbow, which when I screw it on as tight as it will go, the open end is pointing out into the room, when it should be pointing to the other inside wall of the fireplace. Another long pipe is attached to that and that sits under the grate. It's not lining up like I think it should. I will work with it some more.

Sorry if I'm confusing. I think I am just going to apply some additional elbow grease and muscle. I am not a very handy person.The gas line comes out of the bricks in the bottom of the fireplace. Attached to that is an elbow, which when I screw it on as tight as it will go, the open end is pointing out into the room, when it should be pointing to the other inside wall of the fireplace. Another long pipe is attached to that and that sits under the grate. It's not lining up like I think it should. I will work with it some more.

Thanks

Crocket

If you're going to burn wood in a firebox, you really don't want gas pipe inside the firebox, at all. Remove the pipe below the fireplace and cap it.

Sorry if I'm confusing. I think I am just going to apply some additional elbow grease and muscle. I am not a very handy person.The gas line comes out of the bricks in the bottom of the fireplace. Attached to that is an elbow, which when I screw it on as tight as it will go, the open end is pointing out into the room, when it should be pointing to the other inside wall of the fireplace. Another long pipe is attached to that and that sits under the grate. It's not lining up like I think it should. I will work with it some more.

Thanks

Crocket >>

You really need to have someone experience in installing gas fitting do this. It's too easy to misinterpret comments and advice.

But it sounds as though you have a shutoff valve to control the gas flow somewhere outside of the fireplace, perhaps a key operated gas valve in the wall. That means that you probably have the gas turned off at that valve, and the pipe nipple coming out of the brickwork has no gas pressure on it until you open that valve.

It sounds like you MAY be tightening up the elbow too much. Steel pipe fittings don't need to be extremely tight to avoid leaks ---this is where experience pays off. An experienced tradesman will be able to get the fitting both suitably tight and pointed in the right direction. Then he will be able to thread on the log lighter after using a pipe nipple of a suitable length so that it sits in a suitable location in the fireplace.

One other thing--- as you note, a log lighter has holes through the burner. So the gas pressure at that elbow will be quite limited, and it will only have that small amount of gas pressure on it when you are lighting the fireplace.

<<If you're going to burn wood in a firebox, you really don't want gas pipe inside the firebox, at all. Remove the pipe below the fireplace and cap it.

>>

Not a problem, actually. A loglighter is usually lit with a match and then firewood added to get the wood burning when starting a fire. Then the gas is turned off, usually at a valve outside of the fireplace. At that point there is no gas pressure on the pipe at all.

Hey Crocket,Elbow grease may not be the answer. Be careful. If you study the threads on gas piping they actually increase in diameter slightly from the start to the finish. This helps in sealing the connection when you add the pipe dope. If you use too much power (elbow grease), you can actually mess up the pipe. (Also you'd squeeze all the dope out from the threads.)Like Seattle said, it takes practice to get the pipe tight, just between too lose and too tight.

Buffy (who's managed to learn enough not to blow up but he still holds his breath when turning the gas back on...)

<<If you're going to burn wood in a firebox, you really don't want gas pipe inside the firebox, at all. Remove the pipe below the fireplace and cap it.

>>

Not a problem, actually. A loglighter is usually lit with a match and then firewood added to get the wood burning when starting a fire. Then the gas is turned off, usually at a valve outside of the fireplace. At that point there is no gas pressure on the pipe at all.

Seattle Pioneer

That's what it is, a loglighter. The key is outside the fireplace in the floor. Use the gas to light the logs and then turn the gas off.

I am a chicken when it comes to working with electricity and gas. Better safe than sorry. I will most likely get somebody who knows what they're doing to come out and take a look at it.